Dangerous product alerts rise in Europe - EU safety laws stalled

23 March 2015
by BEUC -- last modified 23 March 2015

Warnings on dangerous non-food consumer products made to the EU’s rapid alert system (RAPEX) increased to nearly 2,500 in 2014. Adding to the problem, EU product safety and market surveillance laws to improve EU-wide cooperation – drafted in February 2013 – have still not passed due to a stalemate of EU governments.

Monique Goyens, Director General of The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) commented:

"Unsafe toys and clothing top the EU's dangerous products early warning system. Year after year we are reminded that product safety cannot and must not be taken for granted. Investing in meaningful market monitoring is less a luxury than a necessity. 

"Consumer markets are increasingly globalising and moving online. EU governments have done us a disservice by parking the long-needed product safety law update. This review is crucial in order to help safety supervisors cope with their important task of keeping faulty products off our shelves.

"For many years we have been asking for searches in RAPEX to be simpler for businesses and consumers so we are glad to see that RAPEX's usability has been overhauled. However in the end it should not be the consumer's job to click through a database before shopping. They should be able to trust that only safe products reach the shops."

BEUC acts as the umbrella group in Brussels for its members and its main task is to represent them at European level and defend the interests of all Europe's consumers.

BEUC, the European Consumers' Organisation